Saints vs. Eagles: What's the Game Plan for Philadelphia?

The Philadelphia Eagles return home to Lincoln Financial Field as they try to salvage their season against the New Orleans Saints this weekend.

Philadelphia suffered its third defeat of the season as it fall to 1-3 after losing 23-20 to the divisional-opponent Washington Redskins last Sunday. The New Orleans Saints come into the game with the same record after earning their first win of the season against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4.

The pressure is on Philadelphia to turn around its season, currently ranked last in the NFC East. But the Cowboys, Giants and Redskins are only one game ahead of the Eagles. A win this weekend would keep their hopes of a division title alive.

The Eagles defense has kept them in the game the past few weeks, but they need more consistency from their offense. Chip Kelly flip-flops back and forth between relying on the running and passing games, but this week he needs to attack the Saints on the ground.

Offensive Game Plan

The only win of the season for the Eagles came against the New York Jets in Week 3. What set that game apart from the team's losses is Chip Kelly's dependance on his backfield to carry the load.

Against the Jets, the Eagles ran the ball 38 times for 123 yards and a touchdown. Philadelphia earned only 157 yards on the ground in the team's other three games combined. In comparison, Bradford attempted 28 passes in Philadelphia's win and averaged 39 passes in the three losses.

At the same time, New Orleans comes into the game with a less-than-stellar rush defense. The Saints give up the sixth most yard per game as opponents average 123.2 yards on the ground against them.

If anything, facing a game they need to win if they're to have any realistic chance of salvaging their season, the Eagles ought to feed Mathews the football more.

The health of Philadelphia's offensive line will also be a concern as Jason Peters and Lane Johnson suffered injuries last week. Johnson should play this weekend, as he's listed as probable with a knee injury, but Peters availability is still uncertain, as he is questionable with a quadricep injury, according to the Philadelphia Eagles injury report.

In order to limit the damage to Bradford, Kelly needs to rely on the legs of his tailbacks more, especially Ryan Mathews.

Name	Attempts	Yards	Average	Touchdowns
Ryan Mathews	33	132	4.0	1
Darren Sproles	21	80	3.8	1
DeMarco Murray	29	47	1.6	1

So far this season, Mathews averages four yards a pop with he has 132 yards on 33 carries. DeMarco Murray came into the season as the team's high-profile tailback, but only has 47 yards on 29 carries. As Murray struggles, Mathews and Sproles should be the clear choice to receive the majority of the snaps on Sunday.

Establishing an effective running game will not only take pressure off of Bradford and the offensive line, but also the defense. Coordinator Billy Davis' defense was on the field for more than 40 minutes last weekend against the Redskins and the players looked gassed on the last drive of the game.

If the Eagles can establish a running game, the offense can control the tempo of the game and keep their defense rested for the final push.

Defensive Game Plan

Philadelphia's defense has been steady so far this season, but this weekend they face the talented Drew Brees. The key for the Eagles to keep the elite quarterback in check will be to pressure him.

The Eagles only have six sacks through four games, only four teams have wrestled the quarterback to the ground fewer times. Philadelphia faced quarterbacks with quick releases the past two weeks in Kirk Cousins and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

“We had (Cousins) in our hands three times where we did not sack him," Davis said, according to the Daily News' Paul Domowitch. "And that’s frustrating. But we’re running stunts better than we’ve ever run stunts. When we get to the quarterback, we just have to get him down."

Brees is far superior than Cousins and Fitzpatrick and also makes quick decisions to get the ball into the hands of his playmakers like Brandin Cooks. Getting pressure on Brees is even more important than usual because he is coming back from a rotator cuff injury.

Brees missed Week 3 due to the injury, but returned last week against the Dallas Cowboys. The quarterback came back in style, throwing for 359 yards and two touchdowns last week.

Davis will need his pass rushers to step up and put Brees under pressure this week. Connor Barwin finished last season with 14.5 sacks but only has two so far this season.

Fellow outside linebacker Brandon Graham also needs to get the quarterback to the ground. The Eagles decided to resign the University of Michigan product, but he only has one sack on the season so far. Graham has done the hard work to get into the backfield on a few occasions but he failed to finish the tackle.

The key for Philadelphia's defense this week will be its ability to disrupt Brees' rhythm with their pass rush.

Key Player and Match Up

The Eagles live and die by their secondary play. Their linebackers and lineman have been consistent all season, but the defensive backs are more erratic.

Philadelphia ranks in the bottom half of the NFL, giving up 276.5 yards per game through the air. Davis lost his biggest offseason signing in the first quarter last week when Byron Maxwell left with a quad injury. However, the cornerback is listed as probable for this weekend's game on the team's injury report.

In Maxwell's absence, Eric Rowe filled in at cornerback last week against the Redskins. Late in the game, Rowe failed to jar the ball loose from Pierre Garcon, allowing the receiver to catch the pass for the game winning touchdown. Rowe did not perform poorly last weekend but Maxwell will be an improvement.

The player to watch this weekend will be safety Malcolm Jenkins, who faces his former team for the first time since signing with Philadelphia after the 2013 season.

“I’m not the first person to ever get let go by a team,” Jenkins said, according to ESPN.com's Phil Sheridan. “I won’t be the last. I don’t need extra motivation to get ready for this game. I know a lot of their coaching staff. I know a lot of the players there. I want to compete against them. I look forward to this opportunity. At the end of the day, we play the Saints on Sunday. We’re in desperate need of a win.”

The 27-year-old is the leader of Philadelphia's defense and is performing at a top level this season. Jenkins leads the team in tackles, 31, tackles for a loss, 5. The safety not only leads the team in statistical categories, but he also uses his experience to diagnose plays. Jenkins' play not only opens up plays for himself, but puts teammates in positions to shine.

The safety will be vital this Sunday as he organizes the secondary against a familiar foe in Brees. However, this week they will be facing off in a game rather than practice for the first time.

Prediction: Eagles 24, Saints 20

As Jenkins said, Philadelphia needs a win this weekend to get their season back on track. The Eagles currently have the best chance to win the NFC East, 39 percent, according to ESPN's Football Power Index.

Despite their poor start, Philadelphia still has the chance to make a charge because the NFC East as a whole is underperforming. If the Eagles want to improve offensively, Kelly needs to stay committed to the running game.

Philadelphia should be able to jumpstart their three-headed monster in the backfield this weekend against the Saints' defense. A major part of their rushing attack this weekend, aside from Mathews, will be Sproles. The tailback is second to Mathews with 80 yards on 21 carries. Unlike Mathews, Kelly can deploy Sproles in a variety facets, and the Kansas State product also has 15 catches for 118 yards.

Just like Jenkins, Sproles will be playing his former team for the first time since he joined the Eagles. Look for him to prove his worth to his former employer this weekend. Both Mathews and Sproles will be productive this Sunday and score a touchdown like they did against the Jets.

The threat of the running backs should also open things up for Sam Bradford. Philadelphia's new starting quarterback had his best game of the season throwing the ball downfield last week against the Redskins.

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Keep it up @RileyCooper_14 #EaglesZone pic.twitter.com/b3QqRVUdzh

— Frizzle EaglesZone (@30_frankj) October 5, 2015"

Bradford finished the day 15-of-28 with 270 yards and three touchdowns, including the 62-yard bomb to Riley Cooper.

The Eagles will run the ball effectively and hit a few big plays in the passing game this week on their way to their first home victory of the season.